KELOWNA, B.C. -- Tammy Arishenkoff is a bundle of emotions when she speaks about the mass murder of the Johnson and Bentley families in British Columbia's Cariboo region 30 years ago.

The resident of West Kelowna, B.C., is still sickened by the tragic events of August 1982.

She's disappointed a candlelight vigil to mark the tragedy had to be cancelled Thursday night so friends and family of the victims could prepare for the convicted killer's upcoming parole hearing.

She's frustrated and emotionally exhausted by the merry-go-round to keep the convicted killer, David Ennis, formerly named Shearing, behind bars.

But ultimately she's hopeful there will be positive change.

"From all this ugliness, we're hoping that parole rules change so this guy will be stopped from applying for parole every two years," said Arishenkoff, a friend and classmate of Janet Johnson, who was 13 when she was sexually assaulted and shot.

In fact, family and friends of the Johnsons and Bentleys have found a supporter in Senator Pierre-Hughes Boisvenu.

Boisvenu's daughter was raped and killed by a repeat offender a decade ago and he too wants to see the parole system toughened up.

Shearing pleaded guilty to six counts of murder on April 16, 1984 and was sentenced to six concurrent life terms with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

That 25 years came up in 2008, and Ennis unsuccessfully applied for parole.

He's now able to apply every two years.

He didn't apply in 2010, but is applying this year and the date of the hearing is set for Sept. 18 at Bowden Institution outside of Calgary, Alta., where he is jailed.

The crimes took place between Aug. 6 and Aug. 13, 1982, when six members of the Johnson and Bentley families were murdered near Wells Gray Provincial Park.

"We don't know the exact dates," said Arishenkoff.

The families went on vacation Aug. 2, 1982, but a search didn't start until Bob Johnson failed to turn up for work at Gorman Brothers Lumber in West Kelowna, two weeks later, she said.

It was later learned from Ennis that he stalked George and Edith Bentley and their daughter Jackie, 41, her husband Bob Johnson, 44, and their daughters Janet, 13, and Karen, 11, while they were camping.

Ennis shot the four adults immediately and then kept the girls alive a few days to sexually assault them before killing them, too.

All six bodies were stuffed in the Johnsons' car, rolled down a hill and torched.

The scene was discovered by a mushroom picker Sept. 13, 1982.

It wasn't until October 1983 that the truck camper owned by the Bentleys was found burned on a mountain.

One of 13,000 tips led the police to David Shearing, as he was known then, a 23-year-old who has a record of assault, drinking and driving, drug possession and possession of stolen property.

The police caught up with him in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.,

He was taken into custody, questioned and the story started to come out.

Ennis is now 53.

The Johnson-Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre, located in West Kelowna, commemorates the family.

"Every time he applies, we have to give impact statements and submit petitions and attend the hearing," said Arishenkoff.

"It's ridiculous. It's why we cancelled the candlelight vigil. We have too much to do before the hearing."